Adjustable flange for valves, bibs, and faucets



A. I. FISCHER ms, ANDFAUOETS ADJUSTABLE FLANGE FOR VALVES Filed Sent.28.

A- I 'Tischev Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

TATES PATENT orricn.

ARTHUR I. FISCHER, O'F CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO MORRIS I-I.GLAUBER, 0F CLEVELAND, O'I-IIO.

ADJUSTABLE FLANGE FOR VALVES, BIBS, AND FAUCETS.

Application filed September 28, 1923. Serial No. 665,331

2' '0 cZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR I. FISCHER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland Heights, in the county of Guyahoga and State ofOhio, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in anAdjustable Flange for Valves, Bibs, and Faucets, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to an improvement in anadjustable wall flange and flange holder for a water distributing orcontrolling device, such as a valve, bib, faucet, pipe or a spout. Thusin mounting a valve or spout, upon orwithin a wall or other supportingor con fining part it is customary to sleeve an independent finishingflange over the exposed portion of the tubular body, shank or pipe whichis connected with the supply pipe behind the wall, and the flange servesto cover the opening or gap in the wall through which the tubular body,shank or pipe projects. In many instances, for example in a bath room,the wall itself is enameled or made of tile, porecelain or vitreousmaterial, and it is desirable to match this finish and use a faucethandle and also a wall flange of the same material. One object of thisinvention is to provide a spring holder for porcelain) or vitreous chinaflanges, the holder being particularly constructed to effeet adetachable clamping connection with the wall flange and also anadjustable clamping connection with the tubular or cylindrical part uponwhich it is sleeved.

In the accompanying drawing, F ig. 1 is is a side view of a valve orfaucet having a part thereof projecting through a wall and showing myimproved flange and spring clamp in section thereon.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the flange and its spring clamp sleeved upon atubular section, this view corresponding to a view taken on line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the flange and clamp taken on line 33 ofFig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are front, side and rear elerations, respectively, ofthe spring holder alone.

In Fig. 1, I show a valve body 2 mounted at the rear of a Wall orpartition 3 and connected with a water supply pipe 4:. A tubular shankor extension 5 projects from body 2 through an opening 6 in wall 3, andthe operating handle 7 and packing nut 8 of the valve are exposed at thefront of wall 3, together with a portion of shank 5. In a bib or faucetinstallation the body is mounted outside of the wall and the tubularshank 5 projects into and connects with supply pipe 4 behind the wall,but in either case it is customary to sleeve a separate flange upon thetubular shank and fit it tightly and snugly against the outer face ofwall 3 to close the opening or gap in the wall. Assuming this wall tohave a tiled or enameled face 9, I may with the present invention mounta vitreous-china or porcelain flange 10 any desired shape in crosssection upon shank 5 to match the finished wall, using a spring metalclamping ring or collar 11 to hold the flange in securely lockedposition upon shank or extension 5. Flange 10 may be in the form of arecessed disk or ring, either shallow or deep, and preferablycone-shaped with a narrow flat seating edge 12 at its base to engagewall 3, and a flat circular projecting portion 13 at its center andouter end to seat the clamping ring or collar 11 which is pressed fromspring sheet metal. The body of ring or collar 11 is pressedconcavo-convex in cross section to provide a short bearing flange or lip14 at its outer edge which is adapted to abut against the flat end face13, and the inner annular edge of the collar is formed at equidistantpoints radially thereof with a series of spring tongues 15 which extendrearwardly into the recessed portion of flange 10 when the two piecesare assembled and united together. As shown there are eight tongues inall, arranged alternately in sets of four, the four tongues marked 15being curved outwardly away from the axis to fit and snugly clamp theinner rounded border portion 17 of the central opening in flange member10 at points opposite the flat end face 13. The remaining four tongues,marked 15, are inclined horizontally on straight lines toward the axisand the tips 16 thereof are bent back slightly to permit the springcollar to be freely sleeved upon shank 5 and to frictionally engage theround wall thereof with a firm clamping pressure. The alternatearrangement of spring tongues on collar 11 thus serves to lock thecollar detachably to flange member 10 and also adjustably upon shank 5,and the endless rounded body portion 18 of collar 11 provides a finishedbead for the middle projecting part of the flange member. The springtongues may be readily bent to fit shanks {of slightly varyingdiameters, :or collars of difierent sizes may be substituted for eachother in making attachments with flange members of the same diameter orof different shapes.

l/Vhat I regard as my invention or discovery, and desire to claim, is:

1. An adjustable wall flange for a Water distributing or controllingdevice, comprising an annular body having a separate collar centrallytherein, said collar having spring tongues adapted to l rictional lyengage a cylindrical part of said device and permittinglongitud-inal'sl-ip adjustment of the flange thereon.

2. A finishing "flange for a water distrib- .U u-ting device having ashank or extension,

comprising an annular member of vitreous material; and -'a metal collarhaving locking portlons adapted to secure sald collar within the centerofsaid annular member, and pro- ARTHUR I. FISCHER.

